Kronosaurus imperator
Kronosaurus imperator is a fictional species of pliosaur in the Kronos Rising series by Max Hawthorne. It is the only pliosaur species to survive past the Cretaceous, having lived in the Diablo Caldera near Cuba until released into the wider ocean by an earthquake. It is usually referred to simply with the name "pliosaur", since it is the sole surviving species of that taxon. Description Appearance Kronosaurus imperator resembles most other pliosaurs, albeit much larger. They have a massive, vaguely crocodilian head mounted on a short neck. The main body has four enormous flippers and a relatively short tail. The body is countershaded; the top is blue to bluish-gray, while the bottom is white. Size Kronosaurus imperator is among the largest animals ever to have lived, routinely approaching blue whales in size. Males average 50 to 60 feet in length and 50 to 70 tons in weight. Females are generally a quarter longer and twice as heavy as males, averaging 75 to 80 feet and at least 100 tons. Substantially larger specimens exist. The largest male, designated Typhon, was 94 feet long and weighed 216 tons; his great size was believed to be the result of extreme age. The largest female, a mutant specimen designated Tiamat, was 120 feet long and weighed 445 tons, making her the largest animal, living or extinct, on record. Senses Kronosaurus imperator uses a combination of sight, hearing, and smell to hunt. It has sensitive eyes and binocular vision, and can see some distance into the infrared range. It can echolocate at distances of up to a mile. Its sense of smell is highly acute, and can pinpoint the source of a scent from miles off. Behavior Diet Kronosaurus imperator is a top predator, capable of killing and eating almost any other animal. They prefer large prey, such as tuna, whales, sharks, and giant squid. They do not fear humans, and are known to sink boats and raid beaches for food. Reproduction Pliosaurs reproduce seasonally. During mating season, a female releases estrus hormones into the water, attracting multiple males. The males compete among each other, and the female usually allows the victor to mate with her. Afterward, the male and female may stay together for some time, during which the male placates the female with food to keep her from turning on him. The female becomes pregnant with hundreds of eggs and crawls up on beaches to lay them in clutches of 60 to 100, averaging 80 eggs per clutch. Usually a female will lay around half a dozen clutches in separate locations over the course of a few months before needing to mate again. She abandons the clutches after laying them and has no contact with her offspring. The eggs are each two feet long and hatch into five-foot-long hatchlings. The hatchlings usually do not survive to their first year, but after that they are almost unassailable. Pliosaurs may live for centuries; the old male Typhon is likely between 200 and 300 years old. Attacks on humans All but the smallest Kronosaurus imperator pose a serious threat to humans. Pliosaurs of varying size attack beaches in order to eat swimmers, while larger specimens will attack boats, either plucking people off the side or sinking them outright. A pliosaur will often kill multiple people in a single attack in order to sate their appetites. Attacks may also be driven by provocation rather than hunger. One of the deadliest attacks, when a large female pliosaur destroyed a Florida marina and killed several dozen people, occurred after the animal entered the marina and became trapped. It killed several people in the process of breaking free, and killed most of its other victims when it attacked boats after being accidentally injured by one. Category:Fictional Creatures Category:Sentient Beings Category:Non-sapient Beings Category:Carnivores Category:Marine Reptiles Category:Plesiosaurs Category:Kaiju Category:Aquatic Lifeforms Category:Extreme Category:Literary Creatures Category:Known Binomen Category:Oviparous Creatures Category:Man-Eaters Category:Ocean Creatures